ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · arm · bowl · wax · field · stick · pop · present

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — a subject
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — there
  12. field — farmland
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com